Wally is still looking for a WORKING home!

Meet Wally, the 10 month old Berner boy who has already passed through four different households in eight months.  After bossing all his former families around, Wally came into rescue on February 7th, has been neutered, and is currently fostered by Dayna Rousseau.  

 

What Wally really needs is a job.  He's a star in his Obedience class, heels like a pro, even skipped a grade!  Wally would love to work in just about any stimulating activity that keeps him from becoming a couch potato and having too much time on his paws. 

Don't be fooled by this beguiling, innocent face.  Wally is a challenging Berner that needs guidance, direction and a constant, daily working companion. This boy deserves structure, education and absorbing mental as well as physical activities to bring out the best in him.  He is fine with other dogs, but will not go to a home with children; it would be prefered if Wally is placed within the New England area.

  If you are interested in becoming Wally's working partner, please send an email to rescue@bmdcnv.org for an application.

Happy days with Sam I Am!

Michelle Keck and the miracle dog, Sammy, have quite a story, as Sammy serves as the "poster dog" for the BMDCA's rescue program... These days, Sammy is battling new health challenges but has an excellent team backing him up every step of the way. These are photos of happy times during his last four wonderful years with Michelle:

Here's Sammy from the December 2009 BernerBlatt cover...

Wearing a Lobster costume for the 2008 National Specialty in Warwick, Rhode Island...

Sammy attended a Berner "Girls" party and gamely played along in a beautiful pink boa:

Sammy, already a celebrity in the early months after he joined the Nashoba Valley family, went to the 2006 National Specialty in Michigan and enjoyed a massage... At this point he'd had some corrective surgery and rejuvenating water therapy. Is there any greater contrast to the life he lived before than this?!

And every celebrity deserves a National Specialty photo session with Pat Long and Joye Neff... Here's his 2006 LongShot portrait:

More on Sammy's story will follow...

Hazel's First Week

An update on Hazel from foster "mom" Alise Burbridge:

What a trooper Hazel is, she is the model patient. She has been taking her meds in a spoonful of canned food and tolerating them well. Her incision looks great, no drainage and she has had minimal swelling. She is restricted to leash walks with a sling supporting her rear for going potty only, for two weeks until her sutures come out. Then she can only go for short leash walks for the next 8-10 weeks, no playing or romping at all. She is staying in my home office off our kitchen which we now refer to as "Hazel's Haven". I tried to take the e-collar off while sitting with her but that only lasted seconds before she started licking, so back on it went until our appointment next week. This girl is wrapping herself around my heart very quickly, she is so appreciative of everything we are doing for her. Did I mention how SWEET she is? I hope you enjoy following her recovery over the next few weeks.

Sarge in Charge

Yesterday I went to meet a neutered 10 month old Berner boy who has lived all but his first 10 weeks in a fraternity house at an Ivy League college. Gee, does anyone see this as a less than ideal situation for a puppy?

Living with 20-plus fraternity brothers did not provide Sarge with the structure and consistency that that he needed as he tried to learn how to get on in the world. So, since no one else stepped up to the plate, Sarge figured it was up to him to manage his environment - which he did - using his mouth and teeth.

When we learned about him, Sarge was headed off to "boot camp" with a "trainer" who planned to use an electronic (i.e. shock) collar to address his behavior. Fortunately, we had a chance to change the direction his life was taking. But in order for this story to have a happy ending, Sarge needs to find a patient human with solid training skills who can help him learn to be a civilized good citizen. Basically he needs to be demoted to buck private and start his training from scratch. The good news is that he's smart and food motivated. He's modest in size and is agile.

Sarge will be a project. Work is involved. No question about it. This smart, loving, "bad boy" needs a human with good training skills who will be patient but won't be a pushover - someone to make up for the human stupidity that put him in the position he's in at this early point in his life. Are you the special person who has what it takes to give Sarge the future he deserves?

Introducing Hazel

This adorable girl, Hazel, came into rescue in mid-March after leaving her third home.  She's a sweet, petite girl whose family said that with two children under the age of two, they just didn't have enough time for her.  Hazel was lame and clearly in pain when she came to Berner Inc., suffering from a torn cruciate ligament.

Earlier this week Hazel received an over $3,000 surgery to repair the ligament as well as a torn meniscus.  Happily she is now resting in the care of her loving foster mom, Alise Burbridge, where she'll spend the duration of a six week recovery period.

With such an expensive surgery, the Rescue fund has suffered as well, while there continue to be more and more dogs coming in with medical needs these days.  Obviously, diminished resources inhibits how many dogs can be taken in, treated, and re-homed. 

Donations to aid Hazel's care and other rescue Berners can be made through PayPal or by check mailed to:

BERNER Inc.

P.O. Box 1221
Arlington, MA 02474-0021
 
As always, your donations and support are greatly appreciated.
 
Be sure to check back for regular updates on Hazel's recovery!

Missy & Lucy... Went to Heaven on Earth!

Anya took two girls into the rescue program recently... Here's the report from Pete VanderLann and Mary Beth Bliss, complete with photos of the girls in their new life:

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April 5, 2010 —

We had a Swiss-bred Berner who lived with us 'til the age of 12 when she just finally gave it up of natural causes. We had her daughter as well who passed on about 1 1/2 years later. We spent a few years without a Berner in our lives as we worked on carving out a livable situation, having inherited the farm which has been in my wife's family for many generations in New Hampshire. Mary Beth had inquired about Bernese rescue earlier in the year and then after a long passage of time, Anya wrote to her regarding two sisters who were being given up for adoption in Connecticut. Things moved very quickly with that unstable relationship and soon the underground Berner railway found us with these two girls living in foster care here in the White Mountains.

They absolutely love it here, and we love having them. They both needed surgery, spaying and eyework. Their age was such that the great advantages of spaying had already passed them by but the tight lids on their eyes were causing them a great deal of discomfort and had since birth. Two weeks ago, they had both procedures and have their stitches out tomorrow. They have recovered really quickly and it is wonderful to see their eyes fully open and absorbing this 110 acre farm. We walk every day into the forest on a skidder trail that we upgraded to accomodate horses and skiers two years ago. They stop and inspect everything that needs attention. They are constantly herded by our English Farm Collie and they occasionally let her know that they really aren't sheep. Everybody barks way too much. After a month of having them here every day, we let Anya know last week that we would like to adopt them. We both work at home so they can be with us all day, get their walks and take baby steps into the trout pond by the garden. They give the quarter horses a wide berth for the most part and make a beeline for the only remaining pile of snow still here on the north side of the barn.

You have simply no idea what a wonderful thing you are all doing. I could not imagine being in circumstances where I would have to give up a Berner but the world has become a scary place and things really change fast now. I am so glad we were able to provide a home for these great mature girls. They fit like a great pair of old shoes. It seems like they've been here forever.

April 12, 2010 —

The girls are doing well—with their stitches out now they can really see without pain for the first time in their lives. They seem deliriously happy cruising from field to field and inspecting the stream that flows through them every morning. After the walk it's off to the glassworks for a marrow bone while I warm up the equipment. Once it gets too warm for them, they leave for the cooler recesses of the old barn, down near the horses. Any time anyone comes through, they lurch up expectantly for a walk, which won't really come until lunch. Then at lunch it's off to the pond for a big drink and a frog check, which is still way too early in the spring.

They seem to have a pretty good time here. Man, it is really hard to type when you are getting double Berner bounces.

April 13, 2010 —

Yesterday our English Farm Collie, who was recorded at 33 and plays back at 78, found her Frisbee. That got one of the Berners pretty excited but she could never keep up with an aerial specialist. Periodically the collie would drop the frisbee and to her enormous annoyance, the bigger of the two Berners simply sat on it. The end. The collie doesn't drop the frisbee much anymore.